Drive to arrive

Due to the three tragic fatalities on our roads last week (6th – 12th June) we are urging people to drive to the road conditions and pay particular attention to the speed limits, they are there for a reason.

Remember, you don't have to be travelling over the speed limit to be driving too fast for the prevailing road conditions. If you are driving at an inappropriate speed, particularly on a road you are not familiar with, may result in you approaching a junction or bend too fast, overtaking where it’s unsuitable or unable to negotiate narrow roads.

Reducing your speed will give you those couple of extra seconds to react and lessen the likelihood of a collision; those extra moments could help save your life and other road users.

Our top ten tips to help keep you safe on the road are:

Make sure you have time to react, reduce your speed so you can react to the unexpected.
Always wear a seat belt and make sure your passengers wear their seat belts.
Adjust to the driving conditions, rain and hail reduce visibility, use dipped heads and reduce your speed.
Leave plenty of space between you and the car in front. In wet weather stopping distances will be at least double those required for stopping on dry roads as your tyres have less grip on the road.
Never use a mobile phone whilst driving. Even the most careful drivers can be distracted by a phone call.
If you are on a long journey make sure you take regular breaks and if possible share the driving with someone else.
Never drink and drive, book a taxi, catch a bus or train, or have a designated driver for the evening who will only drink soft drinks.
Be extra vigilant for motorcyclists and regularly check your mirrors for them. Remember to check and check again before pulling out to make sure a motorcycle wasn't hidden from your view.
If you are a passenger in a car and feel unsafe explain to the driver what is making you feel this way, if they are driving too fast as them to slow down.

Visit our on the roads web page for further road safety advice.